Seabass Recipes

Light the barbecue 40minutes before you are ready to cook.
Slash each fish 4 or 5 times down each side. Rub them with the oil and season well
with the salt and pepper on the outside and inside the gut cavities. Push some of the
fennel herb into the gut cavity of each fish.
Place the fish in a wire clamp and barbecue the fish for 6 - 8 minutes. Sprinkle
each one with about 1 teaspoon of pernod, carefully turn over the wire clamp and
cook for another 6 -8 minutes until they are cooked right through to the backbone.
Sprinkle with the rest of the Pernod.
Lift the fish on to a warmed serving plate and serve with the fennel mayonnaise
and some boiled new potatoes.

First make the basil oil. Place the picked basil in a liquidiser with the olive oil and blitz into a purée with a pinch of salt. Set aside in the fridge until required
2.
Preheat the oven to 80°C, or the lowest setting on a gas mark oven
3.
Blanch the heirloom tomatoes briefly in water and remove the skins, then cut into wedges and place onto a non-stick baking tray. Season with salt, sprinkle over a little icing sugar and drizzle with some olive oil
BLANCHING TOMATOES
Score a cross in the skin of the base of the tomatoes and place them in a bowl, boil a kettle and pour over the hot water. Leave for a few seconds until the skin near the cross starts to curl. Place in cold water, then peel off the skin
4.
Place a couple of sprigs of basil over the tomatoes and cook in the low oven for approximately 1-1 1/2 hours. Open the door at regular intervals to let any moisture out of the oven
5.
For the tomato sauce, warm the olive oil in a wide, shallow, non-stick pan and add the shallot and garlic. Cook slowly until soft and sweet but not coloured. Add the chopped tomatoes and season with a little salt and cayenne pepper
6.
Cook slowly until the tomato sauce starts to thicken - you will need to stir it quite often to prevent it from burning. Once it has become thick, add the basil and leave it to infuse for 10 minutes before passing through a sieve to remove the seeds. Set aside in a warm place
7.
For the olive en croute, add the olives to a blender and blitz to make a paste - you may need to add a little olive oil to help the process
8.
Slice the baguette very thinly to create a croute, then toast it slowly until nice and crispy. Set aside until ready to serve
9.
For the aubergine and courgette farce (for stuffing the round courgettes), place some olive oil into a small pan and add the shallot, garlic, herbs de Provence and a pinch of salt. Cook until soft and sweet but not coloured
10.
Add the diced courgette and aubergine and cook until soft, then add the chopped mushroom and cook until the moisture has evaporated. Add the spinach and cook until dry again
11.
Add the diced tomato cook for 1 minute, then add some breadcrumbs just to stiffen the mix up. Set aside
12.
Preheat the oven to 170°C/gas mark 3
13.
Blanch the round courgettes in boiling salted water until tender, but still firm and holding their shape. Refresh in iced water and drain. Stuff with some of the farce and sprinkle with a few more breadcrumbs. Place into oven for 10-15 minutes, then remove and keep warm
14.
Preheat the oven 150°C/gas mark 2
15.
To prepare the fish, add some olive oil to a hot pan and season the fish. Place in the pan skin-side down and fry for thirty seconds, then place the fish in the oven for 5-6 minutes to cook through
16.
Meanwhile, quickly sauté the baby artichokes in a small pan with a dash of oil
17.
Arrange the courgettes neatly onto plates, then spread on a little of the tomato sauce. Place the slow-cooked tomatoes and roasted artichokes on top of the sauce
18.
Remove the sea bass from the oven and season with some salt and lemon. Place the fish on top of the vegetables and trickle some basil oil around the vegetables. Spread some black olive paste onto the croute and arrange on top of the fish. Serve immediately